We arrived at the port of Avalon on the morning of Jan 12, 2024. Avalon is a town of approximately 3,000 on Catalina Island, which is located 22 miles off the Pacific Coast from Los Angeles. It has a blue, yacht-filled harbor that is ringed by steep bluffs and crowned by the Catalina Casino. It is not a gambling casino, but, was built as an entertainment site for millions of visitors who made the trip across the sea from Los Angeles to enjoy a movie, dinner and dancing during the Casino’s heyday. Eighty-five percent of Catalina Island is an Open Space Conservatory established by William Wrigley, Jr., the island’s former owner.

We went on an excursion of the harbor and were treated to views of seals that sun themselves on piers in the harbor, and porpoise that chose to accompany our boat along the way. The round structure in the picture below is the Catalina Casino, which is still operating as an entertainment venue. The last picture was taken in the center of Avalon, looking out over the harbor with our ship in the background.